How to Say ‘Sorry I’m Late’ in Japanese Depending on Your Situation
It is a well-known fact that being late is frowned upon in Japanese culture. Being late when you meet friends will not hurt your friendships badly as long as you apologize and don’t try to make up excuses. Your Japanese friends might very well be the ones who are late. But in business culture, it’s a no-go, so you should be on time for your appointments with your Japanese counterparts. However, trouble sometimes happens, and being late is unavoidable. Here is what to say in such situations.
1. How to Say ‘Sorry I’m Late’ in Japanese
- Sumimasen, osokunarimashita. (すみません、遅くなりました。) I’m sorry for being late.
- Omataseshite moshiwake gozaimasen. (お待たせして申し訳ございません。) I am deeply sorry to have kept you waiting.
The first one is polite, and the second one is very formal. Merely explaining why you are late usually will not earn points with your Japanese counterparts. One of the most common ways to apologize in Japanese is “moshiwake arimasen”, which means “I have no excuse.” The most important is to apologize as sincerely as possible before explaining anything else.
2. How to Say ‘I Will Be 10 Minutes Late’ in Japanese
- Okuremasu (遅れます) I’m going to be…
